Improvement in railway-gates



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. AKINS, OF JACKSON GAP, ALABAMA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,099, dated October 10, 1876; application filed August 12, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. AKINs, of Jackson Gap, in the county of Tallapoosa and State of Alabama, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Cattle-Guards for Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a plan view of my cattle-guard, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same.

This invention relates to stock-guards for railways, whereby cattle are prevented from passing from one field to another along the railroad-track; and it consists in the devices hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A A designate sills or bed-pieces, which are laid crosswise to the track. ()n said sills are secured, by any suitable means, stringers B B, which support the rails of the track. 0 O are girders, which are let into said stringers so as to be even with their surfaces, and which extend some distance beyond said stringers, forming wings O G on both sides of the track. D D are slats, arranged on their edges parallel to stringers B B, and set into the said girders O (J, so as to be flush with the surface thereof, forming an open grating in the space between the tracks and on both sides thereof. Said slats D D are (some or all of them) provided with pointed extensions D D, which serve to prevent the stock from mounting the stringers B B or the rails. Said stringers are also beveled at their upper edges b b, so that said stock will slip off when they attempt to climb thereon. The space underneath slats D D and between sills A A forms a pit, E, of sufficient depth to prevent hogs, sheep, and other animals having small feet from stepping through said slats on the ground below.

When cows or other stock endeavor to pass up the track from one field to another they will be deterred from crossing this cattleguard by the evident insecure footing afforded by the longitudinal slats arranged on edge. The extensions 0 C of girders G O are useful in preventing the stock from slipping over the stringers B B and the rails close to the fence.

I am aware that stock-guards have been used having slats somewhat similar to those used by me, said slats being inclined and arranged across the railroad-track, and I make no claim to such a device. Mine is cheaper of construction, and also more effective, since it offers (the slats not being inclined) a smaller surface for the boots to rest upon.

The material employed is preferably, though not necessarily, wood, and the parts may be attached by any of the known methods and devices equivalent to those shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the sills A A, stringers B B, having beveled edges 12 b, girders O 0, having extensions 0 O, and slats D D, having pointed extensions D D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that 1 claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ELERSON AKIN Witnesses:

J. A. J ONES, W. T. HUBBARD. 

